Submitted by Julie DesChamps
Re-electing Rachel Khanna as state representative of the 149th district will return an honest, conscientious and hard working leader to Hartford to fight for our freedoms, wellbeing and security.
In her first weeks in the State Assembly, Rachel asked me how she could help make Greenwich a more sustainable community and what our most pressing needs were. Rachel not only listened, she delivered, securing state funding to make our schools greener. This is just one example of her thoughtful, attentive style and effective leadership.
Rachel proactively reaches out to the community, genuinely listens to her constituents and delivers for them time and again, most importantly on issues of public health and the environment by championing clean air and water, improving gun safety and protecting women’s reproductive rights.
Rachel wisely recognizes that our environment is the foundation for the health of our residents and a bolster to our economy. The past two years, I’ve travelled to the capitol with Rachel to learn about the most significant environmental issues in our state at the CT League of Conservation Voters’ Environmental Summit. Again, Rachel listened and delivered.
During her first term, Rachel co-sponsored both a critical food waste recycling bill and a long overdue climate bill. She also supported necessary legislation to reduce exposure to toxic PFAS in consumer products, advance renewable solar energy and limit the use of harmful herbicides. Her voting record on environmental bills earned her the highest score of 100% from the non-partisan CTLCV. In her next term, Rachel will continue to advocate for clean air and water, promote clean energy and safeguard our natural resources, prioritizing people and planet.
Rachel aims to make our community safer as evidenced by her co-sponsorship of An Act Addressing Gun Violence, which keeps guns out of the hands of dangerous people by implementing “no exemptions” safe storage requirements, requiring the registration of ghost guns and banning the intentional display of firearms in public. She also supported bills to strengthen background checks on firearms sales and to keep guns away from people who are at high risk of using them to hurt others or themselves.
A long-time champion of reproductive rights, Rachel has earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Equity Now for her defense of safe and accessible women’s healthcare. Unlike her opponent, she stands behind the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, which protects Connecticut providers who perform legal abortions from out-of-state lawsuits and shields anyone traveling to Connecticut for safe, legal abortion care. She has our daughters’ backs by safeguarding women’s rights to control their own bodies.
Please join me in supporting Rachel to represent Greenwich and our common values in Hartford. We need leadership like hers to fight for our freedoms, environmental protections, and our health and safety.
Note: GFP is accepting letters to the editor about candidates in the Nov 5, 2024 election for consideration through Oct 29 at 12:00 noon sharp.